All of us have been put in situations where we have to make choices about doing what we know is right or going along with the crowd. Sometimes it is hard to make those choices because we want to do the right thing, but we also want to feel accepted by our peers.
At the time, we may feel that neither choice seems to be right for us, but both choices seem to be wrong. What do we do? How do we make such a decision?
In Genesis 37, Reuben faced just such a decision. He knew the right thing to do, but he didn’t like his options. The choice he made may have made him feel better at the time, but I doubt that he would ever feel he made the right decision.
The story is a familiar one—the story of Joseph being sold into Egypt. You remember that Joseph had two dreams, both of which revealed his being a leader and his brothers and father bowing down to him. His father also showed him favoritism, and his brothers were jealous.
Jacob, father of these twelve sons, sent Joseph to check on his brothers while they were tending the sheep. When he found them, the brothers conspired to kill Joseph. They wanted to throw him in a pit and tell Jacob that he was killed by a wild beast.
In Genesis 37:21-22, the scripture says, “But when Reuben heard it, he rescued him out of their hands, saying, ‘Let us not take his life.’ And Reuben said to them, ‘Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him…” (ESV). Reuben made a choice. He didn’t think it was right to kill his brother, but his right choice was still not right for the situation.
Verse 22 tells us that Reuben had a plan. He thought he would go back and get Joseph out of the pit and return him to his father. We know that did not happen. Instead the brothers sold Joseph into Egypt, and there Joseph remained.
Reuben must not have been around when the brothers decided to sell Joseph, because verse 29 says that Reuben returned; and Joseph was not there. His plan had not worked.
Reuben, being the oldest, should have defended his brother and not allowed them to do anything to him. He should have taken a stand for right.
We see from the story of Reuben that just taking the lesser of two evils is not making a right choice. What is involved in making right choices?
First, our desire must be to do right. In Jesus’ sermon, He spoke about laying up treasures on earth and in heaven. He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). If our hearts are centered on obedience to God, we will want to do what is right.
Reuben’s heart was in the right place as far as wanting to save his brother’s life, but he wasn’t willing to defend his brother so that nothing would be done to harm him.
Second, we need to understand that what seems right to us may not be right at all. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” We need a standard by which we measure what is right and wrong. That standard cannot be our own standard; it must be God’s standard.
In Psalm 19 the psalmist says, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether” (verses 7-9).
The law of the Lord, the Bible, must be our guide for making right choices. We cannot look to creeds, policy manuals, or other man-written documents to determine what is right for our lives.
Third, we need to have the courage to act on the choice we make. We can’t be afraid of what others will say or how they will feel about us once our decision is made.
Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” We need to wait for the Lord to help us make right decisions. Waiting on Him is about knowing what He wants us to do, praying for the courage it will take to make the right decision, and following what we know is right.
May God help us to make right choices!
Sandra Oliver